62756 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 197 / Wednesday, October 13, 2010 / Notices 

environmental impact statement is 

expected June, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to 

Mt. Hood National Forest, 16400 

Champion Way, Sandy, OR 97055. 

Comments may also be sent via e-mail 

to comments-pacificnorthwestmthood@fs.fed.us, or via facsimile to 

(503) 668–1413. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Kristy Boscheinen, Forest Planner, Mt. 

Hood National Forest, at (503) 668–1645 

or by e-mail at kboscheinen@fs.fed.us. 

Individuals who use 

telecommunication devices for the deaf 

(TDD) may call the Federal Information 

Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339 

between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern 

Time, Monday through Friday. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Purpose and Need for Action 

The purpose of the proposed land 

exchange between the Mt. Hood 

National Forest and Mt. Hood Meadows 

Oreg., LLC is to comply with the 

Omnibus Public Land Management Act 

of March 30, 2009 (123 Stat. 991, Pub. 

L. 111–11), which provides direction for 

this land exchange. 

Proposed Action 

The proposed action includes the 

conveyance of approximately two 

parcels totaling 120 acres of National 

Forest System (NFS) land adjacent to 

Government Camp in exchange for the 

acquisition of approximately 770 acres 

of land owned by Mt. Hood Meadows 

Oreg., LLC, in Hood River County, 

Oregon. 

The Omnibus legislation states that a 

conservation easement shall be placed 

on a portion of the Government Camp 

parcels in order to protect an existing 

wetland, and that the easement shall 

allow ‘‘equivalent mitigation measures 

to compensate for minor wetland 

encroachments necessary for the orderly 

development of the Federal land.’’ (Pub. 

L. 111–11, 129 Stat. 1019) The 

legislation also states that a trail 

easement be used at the Government 

Camp parcels to allow nonmotorized 

public access to existing trails, to allow 

roads, utilities, and infrastructure 

facilities to cross the trails, and to allow 

for the improvement or relocation of the 

trails to accommodate development of 

the federal land. 

The Omnibus legislation also directed 

that the majority of the acquired lands 

be placed into a new management unit 

called the ‘‘Crystal Springs Watershed 

Special Resources Management Unit. 

Responsible Official 

The Responsible Official is the 

Regional Forester, USDA Forest Service 

Pacific Northwest Region. 

Preliminary Issues 

A preliminary analysis of potential 

effects to resource areas including 

wildlife, fisheries, water quality, 

wetlands and floodplains, and cultural/ 

historic sites revealed the following 

preliminary issues: 

(1) Camp Creek and an intermittent 

tributary of Camp Creek run through the 

Federal parcels. Neither reach of the 

stream is fish bearing. Camp Creek is 

not 303(d)-listed, but it does have water 

quality problems associated with 

Government Camp (such as sewage and 

runoff from the roads). Depending on 

the type and quality of development 

that might occur on the parcels after the 

exchange, the water quality could 

further decrease. However, the impacts 

of development should be lessened by 

the Congressionally-mandated 

conservation easement on the wetland, 

through which the streams flow. 

Detailed information is not available 

regarding fisheries or water quality on 

the non-Federal parcel. 

Surveys for wetlands and floodplains 

on both parcels have been completed 

and are being reviewed. Wetlands are 

present on the Federal parcels, and 

narrow, stream-associated wetlands 

exist on the non-Federal parcel. It 

appears that the Forest Service will be 

conveying more wetlands than would be 

acquired. 

Executive Order 11990 requires no net 

loss of wetlands. The Forest Hydrologist 

will be involved to consider possible 

mitigation measures. 

In the Omnibus bill (a)(G)(i), Congress 

mandated that a conservation easement, 

as identified by the Oregon Department 

of State Lands, would be placed upon 

the wetlands at Government Camp. The 

easement would protect the wetland 

and allow for equivalent wetland 

mitigation measures necessary for the 

orderly development of the conveyed 

land. The acquisition of the wetlands at 

Cooper Spur and the easement on the 

wetlands at Government Camp may 

result in no net loss of wetlands. 

Cultural and Heritage resource 

surveys were conducted on the Federal 

parcel. The survey revealed the 

potential for an adverse effect to a site 

of archaeological/cultural interest. 

Mitigation measures will be developed 

with Tribal and State Historic 

Preservation Officer (SHPO) 

consultation. 

Trails 755, 755A, and 755B cross the 

Federal parcels. A trail easement has 

been congressionally mandated, so that 

non-motorized users would continue to 

be able to use the trails to get to Federal 

land, so that roads, utilities, and 

infrastructure facilities could be built 

across the trails, and to allow for 

improvement or relocation of the trails 

so that development of the conveyed 

parcels could occur. While the trails (or 

relocated trails) would still exist, the 

recreation experience could be 

negatively impacted by new 

development (such as buildings and 

parking lots) or the presence of new 

infrastructure. 

Scoping Process 

This notice of intent initiates the 

scoping process, which guides the 

development of the environmental 

impact statement. A public scoping 

meeting will be held in or near Portland, 

Oregon, on October 26th, 2010, from 5 

to 7 p.m. The location is to be 

determined. When the location is 

determined, the public will be notified 

via the Mt. Hood National Forest’s Web 

site and a news release. 

It is important that reviewers provide 

their comments at such times and in 

such manner that they are useful to the 

agency’s preparation of the 

environmental impact statement. 

Therefore, comments should be 

provided prior to the close of the 

comment period and should clearly 

articulate the reviewer’s concerns and 

contentions. 

Comments received in response to 

this solicitation, including names and 

addresses of those who comment, will 

be part of the public record for this 

proposed action. Comments submitted 

anonymously will be accepted and 

considered, however. 

Dated: October 6, 2010. 

Kathryn J. Silverman, 

Acting Forest Supervisor. 

[FR Doc. 2010–25698 Filed 10–12–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–P 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

Department of the Army; Corps of 

Engineers 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Superior National Forest, Minnesota 

Intent to prepare a supplemental draft 

environmental impact statement for the 

construction and operation of an open 

pit copper/nickel/cobalt/precious 

metals mine, an ore processing plant, 

and tailings basin proposed by PolyMet 

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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 197 / Wednesday, October 13, 2010 / Notices 62757 

Mining, Inc., near Babbitt and Hoyt 

Lakes in St. Louis County, Minnesota. 

The supplement will add an analysis of 

a land exchange between the proponant 

and the US Forest Service, Superior 

National Forest. 

AGENCIES: Department of the Army, US 

Army Corps of Engineers, Department of 

Defense; Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of intent (NOI) to prepare 

a supplemental draft environmental 

impact statement (SDEIS). (The original 

NOI to prepare a draft EIS for the 

proposed Polymet Mining, Inc. 

Northmet project was published by the 

US Army Corps of Engineers in Volume 

70, Number 126 of the Federal Register, 

pages 38,122–38,123, July 1, 2005.) 

SUMMARY: The SDEIS will supplement 

and supersede the Draft EIS of October 

27, 2009 (DEIS), which was produced 

jointly by the US Army Corps of 

Engineers (USACE) and the Minnesota 

Department of Natural Resources 

(MNDNR), released for public comment 

on November 6, 2009. The SDEIS will 

respond to concerns about wetlands and 

water quality issues associated with the 

NorthMet mining and ore processing 

proposal, located in Northeast 

Minnesota, as identified by the US 

Environmental Protection Agency and 

other commentors. The SDEIS will also 

incorporate potential effects from a 

proposed land exchange between the 

USDA Superior National Forest (SNF) 

and PolyMet Mining, Inc. (PolyMet). 

The SNF will join the USACE and 

MNDNR as a third lead agency 

responsible for EIS preparation because 

the land where the mine is proposed is 

owned by the SNF. 

Cooperating Agencies for preparation 

of the SDEIS include Minnesota Bands 

of Chippewa/Ojibwe (Bois Forte and 

Fond du Lac). Others who have 

requested to become cooperating 

agencies include the United States 

Environmental Protection Agency 

(USEPA) and the Grand Portage Band of 

Chippewa/Ojibwe. Federal laws and 

policies, which the joint lead agencies 

are required to consider, will be 

outlined in the EIS for both mine 

permiting and land exchange processes. 

DATES: The SNF is currently developing 

scoping materials for the land exchange 

portion of this project. This scoping 

package will be sent to interested parties 

for a 45-day comment period, 

anticipated to occur in October and 

November of 2010. The USACE and the 

SNF will use these scoping comments to 

identify significant issues that will 

guide the analysis of impacts associated 

with the land exchange. The scoping 

package will also be available for 

review, along with supplemental large 

scale maps, on the internet at the 

following Web site: www.fs.usda.gov/ 

goto/superior/projects. 

The Supplemental DEIS is expected 

in the summer of 2011, with the final 

environmental impact statement 

anticipated six-to-nine months later. 

ADDRESSES: Mining and Ore Processing 

Proposal: No additional scoping 

requested. 

Land Exchange: Send written 

comments regarding the land exchange 

to James W. Sanders, Forest Supervisor, 

8901 Grand Avenue Place, Duluth, MN 

55808. Written comments may also be 

submitted electronically to: commentseastern-superior@fs.fed.us, or by fax to 

(218) 626–4398. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Mining and Ore Processing Proposal: 

Contact Mr. Jon K. Ahlness for issues 

associated with the mining proposal, 

Section 404 Wetlands issues, and Clean 

Water Act questions; by letter at U.S. 

Army Corps of Engineers, 180 Fifth 

Street East, Suite 700, St. Paul, MN 

55101–1678, by telephone at 651–290– 

5381, or by e-mail at 

jon.k.ahlness@usace.army.mil. 

Land Exchange: Contact Mark 

Hummel, SNF Deputy Forest 

Supervisor, for additional information 

or questions about the proposed land 

exchange, by letter at 8901 Grand 

Avenue Place, Duluth, MN 55808, by email at mhummel@fs.fed.us, or by 

phone at 218–626–4303. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Mining and Processing Proposal 

Purpose and Need for Action 

The purpose and need of the 

NorthMet mining and ore processing 

project is to produce base and precious 

metals, precipitates, and flotation 

concentrates from ore mined at the 

NorthMet deposit by uninterrupted 

operation of the former LTVSMC 

processing plant site. The processed 

resources would help meet domestic 

and global demand by sale of these 

products to domestic and world 

markets. 

Proposed Action 

PolyMet has applied to the St. Paul 

District of the USACE for a permit to 

discharge fill material into waters of the 

United States, including jurisdictional 

wetlands, to facilitate the construction 

and operation of an open pit copper/ 

nickel/cobalt/precious metals mine in 

the low grade poly-metallic 

disseminated magmatic sulfide 

NorthMet deposit in northeastern 

Minnesota, approximately 6 miles south 

of the town of Babbitt. 

Responsible Official and Nature of 

Decision To Be Made 

The responsible official for the 

USACE, the District Engineer for the St. 

Paul District, will decide in a Record of 

Decision, whether to issue a Clean 

Water Act, Section 404 permit for the 

discharge of fill materials into the 

waters of the United States, including 

jurisdictional wetlands. 

No Additional Scoping for Mining and 

Processing Proposal 

USACE and SNF are not requesting 

scoping comments on the NorthMet 

mining and ore processing project at 

this time. Comments have already been 

received in response to the original 

scoping notice of October 25, 2005, and 

in response to the Draft EIS of October 

27, 2009. The proposed mining and ore 

processing action still falls within the 

scope of analysis identifed in the 

October 25, 2005, Final Scoping 

Decision Document, produced jointly 

with the MNDNR. Scoping will be 

conducted for the land exchange. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Land Exchange 

Purpose and Need for Action 

The purpose and need for the land 

exchange is to eliminate conflicts 

between the United States and the 

private mineral estate. (The SNF has 

concluded that the proponent does not 

have the right to remove the surface of 

public lands by operating an open pit 

mine unless the lands in question were 

exchanged into private ownership. 

PolyMet maintains that specific 

language in the mineral reservation 

allows open pit mining.) 

Another purpose and need for the 

land exchange is to consolidate land 

ownership so as to improve 

management effectiveness, improve 

public access to federal lands and 

reduce boundary lines. 

The proposal meets three Forest 

Service Strategic Plan Goals: (1) Provide 

and sustain benefits to the American 

people (desired outcome is forests with 

sufficient long-term multiple 

socioeconomic benefits to meet the 

needs of society); (2) conserve open 

space; and (3) sustain and enhance 

outdoor recreation opportunities. 

Of the approximately 6,650 acres of 

land proposed for exchange to private 

ownership, the NorthMet mine site 

would encompass approximately 2,840 

acres. The remaining federal property 

proposed for inclusion in the land 

exchange, approximately 3,810 acres, 

would improve intermingled and 

inefficient ownership patterns and 

eliminate conflicts if minerals 

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62758 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 197 / Wednesday, October 13, 2010 / Notices 

development were to expand in the 

future. Many of these federal lands are 

adjacent to lands extensively impacted 

by past and ongoing mining activities. 

The nonfederal lands offered for 

consideration by PolyMet are located 

throughout the SNF and compliment 

existing federal ownership by 

eliminating or reducing private 

inholdings. The non-federal tracts 

consist of forest and wetland habitat as 

well as some lake frontage, potentially 

enhancing public recreation 

opportunities. 

Proposed Action 

The proposed action is a land 

exchange between the United States of 

America, acting through the Forest 

Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture 

SNF and PolyMet. The land exchange 

would transfer approximately 6,650 

acres of federal land from public to 

private ownership, and approximately 

6,722 acres of land from private to 

public ownership. An in-depth analysis 

of this proposed exchange will be 

disclosed in the supplemental draft and 

final environmental impact statements 

for the NorthMet project. The NorthMet 

project is described in the October 27, 

2009 Draft EIS developed by MNDNR 

and USACE. 

This exchange is proposed under the 

authority of the Weeks Act of March 1, 

1911 as amended; General Exchange Act 

of March 20, 1922; Federal Land 

Exchange Facilitation Act of 1988; and 

the Federal Land, Policy and 

Management Act of October 21, 1976. 

The federal land consists of a single 

contiguous tract of mostly forested land, 

approximately 6,650 acres in size, 

located in the west/central part of the 

SNF on the Laurentian Ranger District 

in the historic Iron Range of 

Northeastern Minnesota. The tract lies 

immediately south of the SNF 

proclamation boundary and is bounded 

on the south by the former LTV Steel 

Mining Company (LTVSMC) railroad 

grade and the Dunka Road. The Dunka 

Road is a private road with sections 

owned and leased by Cliffs Erie, 

PolyMet and Minnesota Power. Access 

is primarily via the Dunka Road and the 

LTVSMC railroad grade. 

Nonfederal properties to the north 

and west of the federal land have been 

extensively impacted over the years by 

open-pit mining, mine waste rock 

stockpiles, tailings basins, mine 

processing facilities, railroad grades, 

and general mining activities. The 

federal land encompasses many acres of 

the 100-mile Swamp, a large black 

spruce, tamarack and cedar wetland. 

Yelp Creek and the Partridge River flow 

through the tract. Mud Lake is also 

located on the federal land. 

The nonfederal lands include five 

different tracts of land that total 

approximately 6,722 acres and include 

predominately forest and wetland 

habitat. 

The largest nonfederal tract, identified 

as Tract 1, consists of approximately 

4,650 acres (Hay Lake tract), located on 

the southeastern portion of the 

Laurentian Ranger District, west of and 

adjoining County Road 715 and north of 

the town of Biwabik in St. Louis 

County. The Hay Lake tract includes 

Hay Lake, identified as a Wild Rice 

Water by the MnDNR, and Little Rice 

Lake, which is used by trumpeter 

swans, a State Threatened species. 

Approximately eight miles of the upper 

Pike River flow through Tract 1. 

Tract 2 (‘‘Lake County lands’’) consists 

of approximately 320 acres of land 

formerly owned by Lake County. The 

tract includes various 40-acre parcels on 

the Laurentian Ranger District southeast 

of Seven Beaver Lake that are mostly 

surrounded by National Forest lands 

and offer significant wetland habitat. 

Tract 3 (‘‘Wolf Lands’’) consists of 

approximately 1,560 acres of land on 

the Laurentian and Tofte Ranger 

Districts, west and southwest of Isabella, 

MN. The tract includes four separate 

parcels that block in or compliment 

National Forest ownership and, like 

Tract 2, offer significant wetland 

habitat. 

Tract 4 (‘‘Hunting Club’’ lands) 

consists of approximately 160 acres on 

the LaCroix Ranger District, 5 miles 

southwest of Crane Lake. Two small 

unnamed lakes are partially included in 

the tract, as well as a large percentage 

of wetland habitats. Tract 4 is 

surrounded by National Forest, St. Louis 

County lands, and private ownership. 

Tract 5 (‘‘McFarland Lake’’) consists of 

approximately 32 acres on the Gunflint 

Ranger District in northeastern Cook 

County. The tract blocks in National 

Forest ownership and includes lakefront property on McFarland Lake, an 

entry point to the Boundary Waters 

Canoe Area Wilderness. Access to the 

property is available by water from a 

landing off County Road 16 (Arrowhead 

Trail) approximately ten miles north of 

Hovland, MN. All tracts were assembled 

by PolyMet for the purpose of this 

proposed exchange. 

Responsible Official and Nature of 

Decision to be Made 

The Responsible Official for the 

proposed land exchange is the Forest 

Supervisor for the SNF. The 

Responsible Official will decide in a 

Record of Decision whether the 

proposed land exchange would result in 

an overall benefit to the public good. 

Scoping Process 

Public scoping for the proposed SNF 

and PolyMet land exchange will include 

notices in the newspaper of record, 

mailing of the scoping package (detailed 

information of the purpose and need for 

the project, the proposed action, 

description of the project area, maps, 

and proposed federal and non-federal 

lands involved in the proposed 

exchange) to interested and affected 

publics and posting of the project on the 

agency’s project planning web pages 

and notice in the Forest Service 

quarterly Schedule of Proposed Actions. 

Comment Requested 

This notice of intent initiates the 

scoping process which guides the 

development and incorporation of the 

proposed land exchange into the 

Northmet Project environmental impact 

statement. Comments received, 

including the names and addresses of 

those who comment, will be considered 

part of the public record on this 

proposal and will be available for public 

inspection. 

(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; 

Forest Service Handbook 1909.15, Section 

21). 

Dated: September 29, 2010. 

Tamara E. Cameron, 

Chief, Regulatory Branch, St. Paul District, 

Corps of Engineers. 

Dated: October 4, 2010. 

James W. Sanders, 

Forest Supervisor, USDA Superior National 

Forest. 

[FR Doc. 2010–25755 Filed 10–12–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3140–11–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Fresno County Resource Advisory 

Committee 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of meeting. 

SUMMARY: The Fresno County Resource 

Advisory Committee will be meeting in 

Prather, California, November 17, 2010 

and in Clovis, California, December 15, 

2010. The purpose of the meetings will 

be to accept and review project 

proposals for the next funding cycle as 

well as review prior year 

accomplishments. 

DATES: The meeting will be held on 

November 17, 2010 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 

p.m. and December 15, 2010 from 6 p.m. 

to 8:30 p.m. 

mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES